Tories claim student inequality gap

Thursday 3 January 2008 00:08 BST

Conservatives have branded the educational inequality gap in English schools "a national disgrace" after figures showed that almost half of children from deprived backgrounds fail to get a single good GCSE.

Some 45% of children eligible for free school meals failed to get a GCSE at grade C or better in 2006/07, compared to 24% of pupils generally, according to official statistics released by the Department for Children, Schools and Families in response to Tory questions.

Only one in 16 of the 80,000 children receiving free school meals stayed on in education after the age of 16 in 2006/07 - a total of just over 5,000 young people.

And just 176 young people from deprived backgrounds - about 0.2% of the total in that age group - gained the three As at A-level which are needed to get into the top universities.

Children on free school meals were 193 times more likely to leave school without a GCSE at a good grade than to stay on and gain three As at A-level.

Shadow children's secretary Michael Gove said: "For all Gordon Brown's talk of creating a fair society with opportunity for all, the reality is very different.

"A child from a deprived background is 193 times more likely to leave school without a single good GCSE than they are to get three As at A-level.

"This level of inequality is a national disgrace and a block on opportunity. Reforming our schools and strengthening our families is the key to building a better, happier and fairer society."

Mr Gove was speaking ahead of a speech he is due to give on Monday about strengthening the family.